Author Archive
Java’s visual appeal is zero
by pompo500 on Aug.20, 2010, under Software
Today the visual appeal of software means more than ever. Just take a look at Windows’ history: Windows 3.1, Windows 95, Windows 2000, XP, 7..
Every release of Windows has been more visually appealing than the previous version. Today it matters how your software looks.
If your installer looks like this, you’re going to think less of the entire product right before even using it. It’s incredible how Java has had this butt-ugly grey default dialogs from since, 1990?
Get with the times, Oracle.
This is why PHP rocks
by pompo500 on Aug.19, 2010, under Software
PHP lets you concentrate on the most important part of software development: the problem itself. If you manage to put together hig-level APIs that do most of the work for you, then it’s easy as this.
The previous function GetMatchDuration() would be implemented without this library somewhat like this:
$SQL = ‘SELECT MINUTE(MatchEnds – MatchStarts) FROM matches WHERE MatchID = ‘.mysql_escape_string($MatchID);
if(!($Query = mysql_query($SQL)))
return false;
if(!($Row = mysql_fetch_row($Query)))
return false;
return $Row[0];
Quite a lot prettier in the picture, huh?
PHP effin’ rocks.
jQuery UI’s datepicker adds extra empty space at bottom of the page
by pompo500 on Aug.18, 2010, under Software
There seems to be a small bug in jQuery UI’s datepicker component that adds empty space at the bottom of the page, which looks pretty nasty with layout like the one in the picture. I don’t know if this concerns other themes, but at least the default one (“UI lightness”)
The added space is marked with a red circle in the picture.
Luckily there’s an easy fix to it, just add the following code to jQuery UI’s theme CSS file, at the bottom:
#ui-datepicker-div { display:none }
I’ve submitted a bug report to jQuery UI, hope it’ll be fixed in future releases. :)
Tip: HTML template for starting new pages quickly
by pompo500 on Aug.01, 2010, under Software
This tip is particularly useful for us webheads.
Ever been frustrated when typing the same <html><head><title>..</title><link>…</link></head><body><div>.. stuff over and over again?
Wouldn’t it be wonderful by just right-clicking on the desktop or inside a folder and just picking “New -> Firefox Document”, then Windows creating a fresh template for you with the most frequently used tags already typed in?
Free Microsoft software (for Students)
by pompo500 on Jul.31, 2010, under General
If you’re a student, and your school participates in the Microsoft’s student authentication procedure that you find in Dreamspark.com, you may be eligible for totally free Microsoft software. Some use restrictions apply, such as using the software for business purposes.
It’s about giving students Microsoft professional tools at no charge.
Participating products:
- Visual Studio (various versions, including latest)
- Windows Server 2008 (various versions)
- Expression Studio 4
- SQL Server
- XNA Game Studio
- Robotics Developer Studio
- Virtual PC
- MultiPoint
- Windows Embedded CE 6.0
- Visual Basic express
- Visual C# express
- Visual Web Developer express
- Visual C++ express
It’s easy, just sign in from Dreamspark.com with your school’s user account. Enjoy!
Why I like to develop my own software for almost everything
by pompo500 on Jul.30, 2010, under Software
Usually I prefer not to use ready-made software because, well, if I code it myself I can control every aspect of the software I create.
Today I made an exception by installing this WordPress because frankly, I’m so busy right now I’ve been the entire year in process of developing self made Content Management System to power XS Labs’ site.
Why don’t I like ready-made software? (at least in websites I make myself)
1) Code bloat (see the “small and light” CodeIgniter‘s MVC framework for example, pictured above). Folder size? A whopping 3.60 MB. That couldn’t be right. Most of it has to be documentation? Sure, 2.5 MB but 1.1 MB still has left for the system folder containing the code.
I hate the fact that server and CPU power rises constantly, and that gives some people the excuse to make software bigger and bigger. Just take a look at PHP Nuke, perhaps the bloatest and sorriest excuse for a CMS there is. Don’t even let me started on PHP’s PEAR framework.
2) Security vulnerabilities. It’s almost every day that you hear about a bug in vBulletin or some other popular web gizmo that exposes thousands and thousands of sites to script kiddie’s mercy. I don’t want that shit happening on my server. I’d be arrogant to say that I make better code than the rest of the developers, but hey – my site’s never been hacked. Perhaps that’s due to security through obscurity, but at least I can sleep my nights safe knowing that no publicized vulnerabilities mean that I have to hurry to patch my servers.
About
by pompo500 on Jul.30, 2010, under Company
XS Labs is a software design firm from Finland established in 2003. Experience with web technologies comes from early 2000′s.
We are in the process of making our own website with self-written Content Management System, but things have been rather busy so we decided to temporarily power the content via WordPress. Stay tuned though, the CMS will be quite advanced and we are considering on releasing it as open source.
